Lexical Summary dayeq: Siege wall, rampart Original Word: דָּיֵק Strong's Exhaustive Concordance fort From a root corresp. To duwq; a battering-tower -- fort. see HEBREW duwq NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom an unused word Definition bulwark, siege wall NASB Translation siege wall (4), siege walls (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs דָּיֵק noun masculine bulwark, siege-wall — דָּיֵק 2 Kings 25:1 5t. — עליה סביב ׳בנה ד 2 Kings 25:1 = Jeremiah 52:4; compare Ezekiel 4:2; Ezekiel 17:17; Ezekiel 21:27 (all "" שׁפך סֹלֲלָה); על ׳נתן ד Ezekiel 26:8 ("" id.) Topical Lexicon Definition and Imageryדָּיֵק portrays the earthen ramp or siege mound raised by an attacking army against a fortified city. In the ancient Near East a besieging force piled up dirt, stones, and timber until a graded incline reached the top of the wall, allowing soldiers and battering rams to assault the defenses. The term evokes both the slow inevitability and the crushing weight of siege warfare. Occurrences in Scripture • 2 Kings 25:1 and Jeremiah 52:4 record King Nebuchadnezzar’s construction of a siege mound around Jerusalem during Zedekiah’s reign. Historical Background From the ninth to the sixth centuries B.C., Assyrian and Babylonian armies refined the art of siegecraft. Reliefs from Nineveh show broad ramps pressed against city walls, lined with archers and covered by movable shields. As Jeremiah and Ezekiel predicted, such engineering marvels turned God’s covenant city into an island cut off from relief. The piling of earth against the wall emphasized human might, yet Scripture consistently attributes the outcome to the sovereign hand of the Lord (Jeremiah 52:3; Ezekiel 24:14). Theological Significance Judgment: Each appearance of דָּיֵק marks divine judgment executed through human instruments. “The king of Babylon... built a siege wall against it all around” (Jeremiah 52:4), not merely by geopolitical ambition but because Judah “did evil in the sight of the LORD” (2 Kings 24:19). Covenant Faithfulness: The ramp fulfilled covenant warnings (Deuteronomy 28:49–52). What Moses foretold, the prophets witnessed. The piling earth testified that every word of God proves true. Prophetic Certainty: Ezekiel’s model of Jerusalem under siege (Ezekiel 4) visually sealed the inevitability of judgment despite popular optimism. The ramp became a visible pledge that the prophet’s words would not delay (Ezekiel 12:28). Universal Scope: Ezekiel 26:8 extends the image beyond Israel, reminding nations such as Tyre that no fortress stands when God ordains its fall. The motif thus undergirds the biblical theme of God’s rule over all kingdoms. Typological Echoes: While the ramp crushed earthly cities, it foreshadows the far greater onslaught of sin and death against humanity. Yet where Jerusalem’s walls fell, Jesus Christ “broke down the wall of hostility” (Ephesians 2:14), conquering the last enemy from within rather than over it. Judgment and salvation converge in Him. Ministry Applications 1. Call to Repentance: The siege mound urges modern readers to heed God’s warnings before judgment advances irreversibly. Summary דָּיֵק encapsulates the relentless advance of divine judgment through historical events. Whether applied to Jerusalem or Tyre, it stands as a sober reminder that no earthly bulwark can thwart the purposes of God, and it presses every generation toward repentance, faith, and obedient perseverance. Forms and Transliterations דָּיֵ֑ק דָּיֵ֔ק דָּיֵ֖ק דָּיֵ֗ק דָּיֵ֥ק דָּיֵֽק׃ דיק דיק׃ dā·yêq daYek dāyêqLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 2 Kings 25:1 HEB: וַיִּבְנ֥וּ עָלֶ֖יהָ דָּיֵ֥ק סָבִֽיב׃ NAS: it and built a siege wall all around KJV: against it; and they built forts against it round about. INT: and built against A siege all Jeremiah 52:4 Ezekiel 4:2 Ezekiel 17:17 Ezekiel 21:22 Ezekiel 26:8 6 Occurrences |
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